Agriculture in India is largely dependent on nature, but climate and global warming issues make farming unpredictable. The need of the hour is to educate farmers in the use of modern technology and innovative approaches to increase productivity and raise profitability.
Agricultural development practices over a period of time have been perceived to exploit natural resources faster than they could be renewed. Exponential growth in human population has resulted in demand for food and shelter, which the “natural” carrying capacity of land is under pressure to provide.
Technology has a major role in farming and agriculture practices; and with the advent of digital technology, the scope has widened. Innovation in agriculture is leading an evolution in agricultural practices, thereby reducing losses and increasing efficiency. This is positively impacting farmers. Use of digital and analytic tools is driving continuous improvement in agriculture, and the trend is here to stay, resulting in improving crop yields and helping to increase the income of the farming community.
IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY IN AGRIBUSINESS
Technology in agriculture affects many areas of agriculture, such as fertilizers, pesticides, seed technology, etc. Biotechnology and genetic engineering have resulted in pest resistance and increased crop yields. Mechanization has led to efficient tilling, harvesting, and a reduction in manual labor. Irrigation methods and transportation systems have improved, processing machinery has reduced wastage, etc., and the effect is visible in all areas
Improved productivity from mechanization of agriculture – Manual labor and hand tools used in agriculture have limitations in terms of energy and output, especially in tropical environments. Resistance to agricultural mechanization, especially among smallholder farmers due to accessibility, cost, and maintenance issues, often acts as a detrimental factor. To reduce manual labor and make processes faster, combine harvesters are finding greater use. Indian farming is characterized by small landholdings, and the need is to partner with others to take advantage of modern machines.
Capacity building of farmers through hand-holding, making modern machines available especially to small farms, and tackling affordability issues through policy will lead to a greater adoption of mechanization services going forward. Agricultural mechanization has the potential to directly and indirectly affect yields through reduction in post-harvest losses and increase harvest gains.
Climate/ weather prediction through artificial intelligence – A major advance in agriculture is the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Modern equipment and tools based on AI enable data gathering and assist in precision farming and informed decision-making. Drones, remote sensors, and satellites gather 24/7 data on weather patterns in and around the fields, providing farmers with vital information on temperature, rainfall, soil, humidity, etc.
However, AI finds slow acceptance in a country like India where marginal farming, fragmented landholdings, and other reasons act as impediments. But there is no doubt that technologies based on AI can bring precision to large-scale farming and lead to an exponential rise in productivity.
Resilient crops developed via use of biotechnology – Agriculture refers to a wide resource of methodologies that include traditional breeding methods, genetic engineering, and development of microorganisms for agriculture. Generally speaking, genetic engineering uses the understanding of DNA to identify and work with genes to increase crop resistance to pests, and the development of high-yielding varieties also makes improvements to livestock.
The spinoff of biotechnology in agriculture has resulted in all-around benefits for farmers and end consumers. Though some controversial approaches have led to resistance in the adoption of biotechnology, there is no doubt that the future of agriculture is heavily dependent on SAFE biotechnology, given the changing climate and increase in population.
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